Hawai'i Hilo Vulcans Athletics

Junior pitcher Valerie Alvarado came up big twice this past week for the UH Hilo softball team. The right-handed transfer tossed a pair of shutouts at Dominican when the Vulcans needed them the most, helping to lead her team to a pair of victories over the Penguins. The Indian River State (Fla.) transfer pitched the Vulcans to a 2-0 win in six innings of work, giving up just four hits, and then ruled the pitching circle for seven innings during an 8-0 victory, allowing five hits and striking out five. For the week, she totaled 13 innings pitched, only nine hits, three walks and eight K's. UH Hilo is now 16-4 on the season and 11-1 in the PacWest heading into a critical southern California trip.